Massaged Kale Caesar Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

When I was younger, I hated salad dressing. HATED IT. I was also a very picky eater in general, and salad dressing was one of those things that I had an aversion to.

But our taste buds supposedly change every 7 years or so, and one day, something changed, and I decided to try caesar salad, dressing and all! And it was then that I started to actually enjoy dressing. Of course, my idea of a good quality dressing or sauce is different than it was then, but my love for caesar salad has only strengthened -- especially because now I can enjoy it free of dairy.

And secretly my favorite part of a caesar salad is the croutons (am I the only one? I'm sure I'm not alone!), so I had to come up with a gluten-free crouton to toss into this recipe. Thanks to my favorite gluten free bread from Simple Kneads, I was able to make this happen so easily by just toasting the bread in the oven for a few minutes. It couldn't have been easier!

So how was I able to achieve the tangy, slightly cheesy flavor so familiar in a classic caesar dressing? The mustard and lemon juice give it the tang, and the nutritional yeast gives it the cheesy flavor.

And when the ingredients all come together, a creamy, tangy, incredibly tasty dressing is born, and serve as the perfect add-in to massaged kale.

Massaged Kale Caesar Salad (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Serves: Makes 2 salads

Ingredients

1/4 cup tahini

1 tsp mustard

1 tbsp olive oil + splash more

1/4 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp lemon juice

1 pinch sea salt or real mineral salt

1 bunch red or green curly kale

1 slice gluten free bread (I used Simple Kneads gluten free bread)

2 TBSP pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

Rinse and pat kale dry.

Massage kale with a tiny drizzle of olive oil, and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, mustard, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt until well-combined.

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350° F.

Cube the slice of gluten free bread into small,1/2-inch cubes, and arrange on a baking sheet.

Bake the cubed bread for about 7 minutes or until golden and crispy, and flip the bread to brown the other side for another minute or two. Once toasted and crispy, remove the bread (croutons) and set aside.

In a large salad or mixing bowl, toss the kale with the dressing. Gently toss in the croutons and the pumpkin seeds if using.

Serve immediately.

3.5.3226

Thanks to Whole Foods Market Montgomery County for generously providing many of the ingredients for this recipe, and thanks for reading!